Invalid chair



J. G. RIDEOUT July 19, 1949.

INVALID CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1945 INVENTOR. 727m 50mm 2212750217" Wdw W QM-UI y 19, 1949- J. G. RIDEOUT 2,476,769

INVALID CHAIR Filed Oct. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. u l 1/ JOHN EURDUNZZIDEUUT Patented July 19, 1949 OF CE INVALID crm'n John Gordon Hideout, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, as-

signor to Gendron Wheel Company, Perrysburg, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 1 Application October 13, l945jSerial No. 622,181 I This invention relates to invalid-chairs, and an object is to produce a new and improved invalid chair in which the back and seat assembly is so connected to the frame parts as to benefit from the inherent resiliency or springiness of the frame thereby to enhance the comfort of the occupant.

Another object is to produce an invalid wheel chair in which the frame as well as the back and seat assembly are of tubular construction.

A further object is to produce an invalid chair in which portions of the frame are of resilient construction and in which the back and seat assembly is suspended from such frame parts in order to secure the benefit of such resiliency.

A still further object is to provide an invalid chair with a back and seat assembly which is adjustably connected to frameparts enabling tilt-. ing motion of the back and concomitant raising or lowering of the rear portion of the seat for adding to the restful comfort of the occupant.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front perspective elevation of an invalid wheel chair;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of one of the frame parts and the associatedback and seat assembly, showing the selective adjustment thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view somewhat similar to Figure 3 but showing one of the back holding latches or catches in unlatched or released position; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an invalid wheel chair which comprises a pair of laterally spaced frame parts Ill and II, each of which is formed from tubing and is in the shape of an inverted O. The upper arms of each of the frame members have clamped thereto an arm rest I2 and the lower ends are shown secured to vertically disposed sleeves I3 which receive the posts carrying the forks I4 at their lower ends for caster wheels I5. Also secured to the sleeves I3 is a U-shaped tubular brace I6 which connects the frame parts Ill and I I together.

At the front 'end portion of theinverted- C'- shaped frame parts I0 and II and at the lower portion thereof is fixed ashaft H which "is-secured respectively to the frame-parts by brackets I8. Themain wheels 19 are secured to the end portions of the shaft l1 and are' provided with the usual hand engaging rimportionsfl for self-propulsion of the chair. I

The frame for the seatand back assembly is made up of tubular parts and consistsbf a seat frame 2| which is pivotally connected at 22 'at its front end to an intermediate partof the frame members III and II respectively and the rear end of the seat frame-is pivoted at "23 to the back frame 24. Suitable cushions 25 are mounted on the seat and back frame members. Iv

On the rear end portion of each of the .inverted C-shapedframeumembers Ill-and. and secured thereto by screws 26 is an arched keeper member 21 which has a curvature conforming to the curvature of the portion of the frame member to which it is attached. Each keeper member 21 is formed with a raised track portion 28 and a, series of longitudinally spaced socket portions 29 to receive a latch member 30 which is carried by an arm 3I of a rotatable sleeve 32 which rotatably fits the adjacent tubular frame part of the back 24, it being understood that the frame 24 for the back is of inverted U-shape. As indicated particularlylin Figures 3 to 6, the sleeve may be rocked in one direction or the other to bring the latch member 30 into engagement with one or another of the sockets 29 for securing the back frame 24 selectively in the desired adjusted position. Each of the sleeves 32 is held against upward sliding movement on the back frame by a pin 33.

Engaging the track 28 on the keeper member 21 is a grooved roller 34 which is rotatable on a pin 35 passing through the respective portion of the back frame 24 and the arrangement is such that the swinging movement of the back frame 24 about its pivot 23 causes the roller 34 to move along the track 28 and a portion of the weight of the occupant is transmitted through the roller 34 and the keeper 2! to the tubular frame parts I0 and I I which are of sufficient springiness or resiliency thereby to enhance the comfort to the occupant of the chair. It will be manifest, therefore, that the seat and back assembly is resiliently suspended from the frame parts and thereby obviating the ordinary rigid and uncomfortable invalid chair construction. It will further be observed that the curvature of the rear end portions of the frame members l0 and l I is such that 3 4 as the back frame 24 is swung rearwardly, as, spring metal bars, each member having a pair for example, to the broken line position shown in of vertically spaced, upper and lower horizontally Figure 1, the rear end of the seat frame 2i indisposed curved arm portions rigidly connected at clines downwardly, thus adding substantially to the front by a vertically disposed curved front the comfort of the occupant. Such downward 5 portion, the rear end of each upper arm portion swinging movement of the seat frame, of course, being free for vertical spring movement, a back is dependent upon the swinging movement of the frame between said frame members, a seat frame back ff ameizgf b itf is 'g flicien'tf's'o thatgr'eater jpivotallyconnected at'its rear end to said back comfort is aiiorded to the occupant Ordinarily frame, a pivotal mounting connecting the forthe position of the back is predetermined andis i ward portions of the seat frame to said frame readily accomplished by simply rocking the two members, means for suspending the back frame sleeves 32 and then swinging the back frameito -1-; from the upper arm portions, adjustable means the desired position, and thereafter the sleeves 32 for retaining the back in different selected posiare rocked in order to bring th'keepers" so intc' ti'ons, an ambulatory mounting for the said frame engagement with the selected socket 2'9. j f and including caster means and hand wheels con- Leg rests 36 are suitably connected to the front nected at spaced points along said lower curved end of the seat frame 2| and-carry. foot restsiil; 3 =armportions respectively. at the lower ends thereof. Since the mounting 2. An invalid chair as claimed in claim 1, in and construction of the leg rests form no part which a small caster is mounted at the extreme of the present, detail illustration and description 20 rear end of the lower arm portion of each frame thereof is not considered-necessary. 1 'member, and a large hand wheel is mounted on From the above descriptiomit will be'manifest each lower arm portion at a point spaced fort-hatI-have provided, exceedingly 's-impleand eifiwardly from the caster mounting. cient construetioninwhich the parts are Iabri- -JQI;IN GORDON RIDEOU'I, cated essentially from. tubes and in which the 25 back and seat assembly is resiliently suspended rfrom the frame parts. Another important feature is in the inclining-of the-seat frame upon the adjustment ofthe-back frame and this is ordinarily accomplished upon the-adjustment of the an REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the fileof thisipatentz UNITED sra'ms PATENTS back frame to the selected position. Number Name Date It is'to be understood that numerous changes 336,662 Phillips Feb 23 1886 "in details of construction, arrangement and op- 2,102,335 14, 1937 cration maybe efiected' without departing from 2,150,473 Yerrick Man 14 1939 :the spirit ofthe. invention especially as: defined 2 3 5 Anderson 1 1941 in the appended claims.

What 1 claim is: i 1 FOREIGN ATENTS 1. An invalid chair comprising a'frame having Number ry Date apair oflateraily' spaced substantially C-shaped 2 r y Nov- 1 2 frame-members formed of continuously curved, 

